


The Progress

by Dexiha



Series: Drabbles [9]
Category: Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling
Genre: Hogwarts Eighth Year, M/M, POV Ron Weasley, Pining Harry, Quidditch, Truth or Dare
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-20
Updated: 2018-01-20
Packaged: 2019-03-07 06:24:35
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13428711
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Dexiha/pseuds/Dexiha
Summary: Prompt by anon on tumblr."Hi! Not really a prompt but could you write a fic with pining!harry please? And where Draco is definitely very confident and acting like some sort of leader? A bit vague I know but I'm not really sure how to word it. Just more pining!harry!!!"





	The Progress

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks to [Em](https://staganddragon.tumblr.com) for helping me out with coming up with something to make out of this prompt. Also thanks to [Celia](https://secretlycrazyhummingbird.tumblr.com) for betaing it. You two are truly the best!

Almost everyone had come back for the Eighth Year at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. This was quite surprising as most of those who fought in the war weren’t in need of the education to get a job. But when Ron came to think about it, maybe it wasn’t so strange after all. All of them were still just teenagers and yet they had fought a war - a war in which _they_ had mattered more than most adults, so of course they wanted to come back to school so they could get to live another year as normal teenagers. 

 

Something that _was_ strange though, was how quickly the relationship between Harry and Draco had changed. Like, it had shifted completely in a matter of two days! Ron had always known that there must’ve been something else than the supposed rivalry between them, since the two interacted way more than Harry ever did with Voldemort. Yet it had been clear that there was something there because they shared something Ron or Hermione never could share with Harry, and he didn’t even know what that really was. But he had never thought that they would stop fight each other so… instantly. They still argued and got on each other nerves but it was nothing like before.

 

Later that night, Ron got an answer to his wonderings. While sitting on the floor of the dormitory he shared with Harry and Theo Nott - though the Slytherin was gone for the moment - they worked on their Charms essay and chatted softly to make the work more bearable. At one point, Harry fell silent and stopped working, a distracted frown placed on his face. 

“What’re you thinking, mate?” Ron asked, shortly thereafter.

“Nothin’” Harry answered though Ron could hear the lie in the slight change in his tone of voice. Not even Hermione knew Harry well enough to distinguish that difference. 

“Stop it, you know I know you better than that. I know something’s bothering you. Tell me.”

Harry sat silently for another minute and Ron just let him do that. He knew Harry would talk eventually, when he felt ready. True to that, Harry finally opened up. He told Ron about how he had come to the conclusion that he found Malfoy attractive and he had also gotten to appreciate the blond’s personality. Though this should be a great shock for Ron, it wasn’t. It was just an explanation that actually made sense. So Ron just nodded, and kept letting Harry speak his mind. In the end all Ron could say was:

“I’m glad you told me, Harry, and I want you to know that I’ll walk with you through all of it.”  
The rest of the night they spoke about that, clearing out any wonder Harry might have about sexuality and Purebloods and whatever Ron could help him with. 

 

As it turned out, the realization Harry had come to wasn’t all positive, because the boy was still unsure in his new situation and even more so because he didn’t know how to act around Draco anymore. He also became a new copy of himself from sixth year during which he had been rather obsessed with the blond. Sure, that time he had turned out to be right with his suspicions of him, but it had still been quite annoying to never hear him talk about something other than Malfoy this and Malfoy that. Now however, Harry was once again constantly watching him, though this time it wasn’t because he thought Draco was up to something, but because he seemingly tried to drink in his looks. Several times during each meal, Ron had to elbow his friend in the ribs to remind him that he needed to eat instead of looking over at the Slytherin table. 

 

It got even worse when it got settled that the Eighth Years would be allowed to start their own Quidditch Team and participate in the Hogwarts Quidditch Cup. Not so surprisingly, Harry was chosen as the seeker, and Ron as the keeper, but something that was unexpected was for Draco to apply as a Chaser _and_ Team Captain. No one was complaining, because he took the role seriously, and no one could deny that he was well fit for the work. But for Harry, it was a complete disaster. He had to endure to look at the blond during each practice, seeing him in a habitat that seemed perfect for him, and it was often that Ron caught sight of Harry doing nothing but stare goofily at Draco as he soared through the air on his broom. Yet, Harry was a good enough seeker to still manage catching the snitch in time, but just barely. And it was driving Draco up the walls. 

 

The worst scenario was after the match against Hufflepuff during which Owen Cauldwell had actually caught the snitch before Harry, but fortunately the Eighth Years had been leading with a 160 points difference so they hadn’t lost. Draco had been furious anyway. And rightly so, if Ron was to be honest, but he didn’t tell anyone that. The telling off Harry got afterwards was quite rough, and even though Ron knew Harry could blame no one but himself, he couldn’t help but feel a bit sorry when he saw how Harry shrunk with each word Draco yelled. Until the end. For some reason Harry’s eyes lit up when Draco’s last words were uttered.  


“If you don’t start to do some real work, Potter, I’m gonna have to switch you for Chang! And I will _not_ change back!”

When they were back in their dormitory later that night, Harry was quick to start talking about the game. 

“Right, Ron, you heard Draco, right? If I screw up one more time, he’ll throw me off the team, right?”

“Mate, you might cut down on your use of the word ‘right’, you’re barely making any sense.”

“Sorry, but, if I’m off the team, I can sit through all the game and just watch him, right? And no one would think it weird either, right?”

Ron couldn’t prevent the laugh that broke through him from being heard, and Harry immediately turned sour.

“I’m sorry, Harry, I know you’re serious, but listen to yourself. You’re actually considering quitting Quidditch for the sole sake of watching Malfoy. I don’t know about you, but I’m quite sure that won’t help you with your little Slytherin problem.”

Suddenly a new voice cut in.

“You’re talking about Draco?” It was Theo, whom neither of the Gryffindors had realized were in their dormitory as well. 

“Uhm… n—” Harry began but was interrupted by Ron.

“Yes! We are.”

“And based on what I’ve heard since you came in here, Harry’s got a certain liking for him, am I right?”

“You are.” Ron said, a smile playing on his lips. “You know something that could help us?”

“I might do, actually.” A similar grin split Theo’s face and it scared Harry a bit to see how alike the two boys looked when they shared a mutual expression. “Let’s say, my friend Draco Malfoy, whom I have known for several years, is a boy who throughout all seven - and now eight - years here at Hogwarts, he only shut up about one Saviour for half a year, and that was in sixth year, when he was too scared of Voldemort to even utter ‘Potter’. And now he’s getting furious because his hero is becoming utter shit.”

Theo’s words had Ron laying in the floor, rolling around from laughter. Harry, on the other side, didn’t seem that entertained.

“You’re lying.”

“Am not. And whether you believe me or not is up to you, Potter. But I’ll tell you one thing, and hopefully you’ll come to your senses and actually listen. Go to Draco, and tell him. Now I’m going to sleep. G’night.”

With a flick of his wand, Theo closed the bed curtains and left Ron and Harry to themselves. Harry sat down on the edge of his bed and just stared disbelievingly at the floor, while Ron tried to catch his breath after his laughing fit. 

“Mate, you better go now.” Ron said when he managed to get the words to leave his mouth. His eyes were looking at the Marauder’s Map laying unfolded on the edge of Harry’s trunk and apparently not blank as it still showed the school, and a certain name that he knew held Harry’s interest. “Malfoy’s in the owlery, you might just go talk to him now.”  
Without warning, Harry shot up from the bed and he was out of the room in an instant. 

“That went fast,” Theo smiled as he opened up his curtains again. “Not that I’m surprised though. Harry’s been moping around Draco for so long, it’s really amazing Draco hasn’t realized yet.”  


“Yeah, but now things’ll get worked out and it won’t be a problem anymore.”

 

Ron had never been more wrong. Well, things _did_ get worked out, but that apparently didn’t take away the problem of Harry constantly pining after the blond and paying _all_ his attention to him. Harry still didn’t shut up about it either, because he was still very unsure about the relationship they had, at the same time as he was incredibly happy that it seemed like Draco mirrored his feelings. Harry had told Theo and him about how he had approached Draco in the owlery, and at first Draco had thought Harry was there because he was mad about the scolding. That had made Harry feel a bit uncertain, but Draco had noticed the shift in the atmosphere, and instantly started talking softer. It had been hard for Harry to utter his words, but the very moment he had made it clear that he fancied Draco, Draco had crashed them together in a tight hug and whispered thank you over and over again before finally letting his lips meet Harry’s. 

 

It had been a few weeks since then now, and yet Harry kept tripping into their dormitory late at night after his “study sessions” with Draco (Ron knew that the two actually _did_ study, but he also knew that wasn’t all they were doing). But at least Harry had stopped making stupid, disastrous mistakes during Quidditch games, and Ron guessed that he should be happy about the small things. And of course, he should also be happy of that this best friend was finally joyful and contented again. Yet, it became rather frustrating, and lonely when Harry was off with the Slytherin during most breaks and evenings. 

 

Luckily, he had Theo, Hermione and the other Gryffindors to hang out with, but it wasn’t the same without his best friend. Those feelings got even clearer when both Harry and Draco always were missing during the Eighth Year Parties that Pansy fixed. And it wasn’t just Ron who was affected by it. Everyone seemed to be missing them, for they both played central roles in their dramatic lives and without them there to bicker or hug or just talk, it was like a big piece of either one’s hearts were missing.

 

Pansy was the one to finally let the bomb drop.  
“Alright, I’m tired of them sneaking off and leaving us all behind. Next time, which is on Saturday, we _have_ to get them to come, by any means, okey?”  
Even though they hadn’t been talking about anyone in particular, and Pansy hadn’t said any names, everyone still knew who she was talking about and they nodded in agreement. Throughout the whole week they worked on persuading Draco and Harry to come, and by some sort of miracle, they managed. Looking back at it afterwards, it might’ve been better if they hadn’t.

 

As they had decided on the last party, they were going to play Truth or Dare, and at first, it all went alright. Harry was laying with his head in Draco’s lap the entire time, while Draco fiddled with his hair and they answered innocent questions about this and that. They were simply being very cute. That was until Parvati and Padma decided that the game needed to step up a level and they launched into a much dirtier game. All the truths were about wet dreams and the alike, and the dares were… well… sexual… yet, they let Harry and Draco get easy questions as no one wanted to spoil the cuteness. Well, no one except Blaise that is.  
“Harry, I dare you to kiss any guy but Draco.”  
Instantly, Harry’s eyes grew wide, as Draco’s narrowed. Uncertain, Harry threw a glance through the room that then settled upon Draco, before he started to get up. Slowly, he made his way over to Seamus, and sat down on his knees. He put upon a quick peck on Seamus’ nose, and then stood up again.  
“No, no, Harry, I meant a _real_ kiss.” Blaise snorted.  
“Shut it, Zabini.” Draco growled lowly.  
“No, but I want to see if he can be as cute with someone else as he is with you, Draco.”  
“I said, shut it!” It was clear that Draco was starting to lose it. Quickly, Harry made his way back to Draco, sat down upon his lap and looked deeply into his eyes.  
“It’s okey, I won’t do it, cause I don’t want to, I don’t want him; I just want you, only you,” Harry whispered, and Draco visibly relaxed. The entire room let out a breath at the same time.  
“Blaise, don’t play such tricks next time, alright?” Theo said, and there was a clear warning in his voice. “You know Draco as well as I do, and you shouldn’t challenge fate.”  
As Theo continued to explain something to the other Slytherin, Ron turned to Draco and Harry.  
“We are very grateful for you two coming here, and I hope that you’ll come more often, we will make sure that things like _this_ never happen again. But if you want to you could go now.”

 

For the first time since the school year started, Ron didn’t feel abandoned by Harry, he just simply felt happy for he had seen how well Harry seemed to fit with  Draco, and he knew how they completed each other in such a way that no one could ever complete them, and he also knew that his best friend was still there, because before leaving the Room of Requirement, Harry bent down and gave Ron a tight embrace, whispering him his thanks and a promise that they’d come back the next time. When the door closed behind Draco and Harry, Ron turned back to the group of Eighth Years and told them to settle down so they could continue their game. As if nothing had changed. Because, honestly, had anything really done that?

**Author's Note:**

> I'll forever worship those who give me feedback on this, in form of comments here or a message/ask on


End file.
